Let’s play ball

Last year's Division One winners Somerton. They will contest this year's Senior League.

Noelita Lawrence

Weather permitting, the long-awaited 2018 edition of the St. James FA Sandals/ATL Divisional Senior and Division One League is scheduled for kick-off later today (Monday, January 22) with a double header at the UDC field starting at 1:30 p.m.

This year’s Senior League will take on a different format and will, for the first time in more than nine years, be played on a straight League format with teams playing each other twice before the leader on points are crowned champions, and will gain promotion to the CONFED.

The two matches scheduled to be played will involve action in both the Senior and Division One Leagues.

In the Division One action, the first of the day and the season, one of last year’s semi-finalists Fire House, campaigning in their second season, oppose the normally unpredictable Cambridge team, while former National League winners Seba and Melbourne do battle in the Senior League showdown.

Seba, Melbourne, Revelation, Marl Road, MoBay City, Lilliputt Rovers, Club Stars, beaten finalists Heights and the promoted pair of Somerton and Irwin are listed to challenge for the Senior League crown.

In Division One are promoted Club Ville and Cambridge join seasoned campaigners Bogue, Norwood, Paradise, Norwood Strikers, Violet Kickers, Copperwood, Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College, along with last season’s semi-finalists Fire House and Lane.

The top four zone winners in the Division One will challenge each other in a two-way semi-finals from where the two winners on aggregate go through to the championship game and will earn promotion to the Senior League.

Zone One will comprise teams Bogue, Lane, Copperwood, Club Ville and Paradise while Sam Sharpe, Fire House, Kickers, Norwood Strikers and Cambridge make up Zone Two.